Scrumhalf going forward

[mildlyinterested]

With every senior player at this position likely out of contract in June 2021, the fight for 3rd choice 9 is probably the most interesting aspect of this position along with the long term aim of finding leinster's answer to Craig Casey.

Jamison Gibson Park(28) - 5'9, 83kg. Signed contract in 2019.
Luke McGrath(27/St. Michaels/UCD) - 5'9, 84kg. Signed contract in 2019.
Rowan Osborne(23/Clongowes/DUFC) - 5'6, 75kg. Signed contract in 2020.
Hugh O'Sullivan(22/Belvedere/Clontarf) - 5'10, 81kg. Signed contract in 2019.
Paddy Patterson(21/Blackrock/UCD) - 5'8, 76kg. Academy Y3
Cormac Foley(20/St. Gerards/Lansdowne) - 5'11, 85kg. Academy Y2

Likely that Osborne, O'Sullivan and Patterson are competing for 2 senior contracts. Hard to call right now who would get it, Osborne looking most likely to be retained at the moment, though his potential to unseat either McGrath/JGP looks unlikely. Hard to call between O'Sullivan and Patterson right now for me. You'd assume JGP will stick around given he is IQ'd and appears fairly settled here. Cormac Foley is believed to have joined the academy during the season and I'd expect that to be confirmed whenever they announce the academy for next season.

Possible Academy entrants:
Ben Murphy(U20/Pres Bray/Clontarf) - 5'10

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Rob Gilsenan(U20/St. Michaels/UCD) - 6'1

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Will Reilly(U20/Portlaoise RFC/MU Barnhall) - 5'11

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Matthew Cullen(U20/Blackrock) - 5'11

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Gilsenan has star potential, but needs to stay healthy and focused.. Murphy isn't as talented or flashy but has already played for the irish u20's. Reilly, a converted 10 impressed playing for Barnhall in the AIL as a 18 year old and could surprise if given a chance. Cullen faces a uphill battle for an academy place but can't be written off.

[mildlyinterested]

Gilsenan try: https://youtu.be/yCFk5_PQ-TU?t=5658

[hugonaut]

That was a cracking try! Outstanding running from the winger - he showed a lot of moves and a lot of pace. Really good support work from the No9, who really covers the ground very well and easily. He's one to keep an eye on.

[ronk]

That was a cracking try! Outstanding running from the winger - he showed a lot of moves and a lot of pace. Really good support work from the No9, who really covers the ground very well and easily. He's one to keep an eye on.

Needs to work on his groundings.

[mildlyinterested]

Will Reilly try: https://youtu.be/6BBgByJ-Z-M?t=76

[hugonaut]

That was a cracking try! Outstanding running from the winger - he showed a lot of moves and a lot of pace. Really good support work from the No9, who really covers the ground very well and easily. He's one to keep an eye on.

Needs to work on his groundings.

I reckon he'd get absolutely smoked the next time he got the ball if he did that in training at pro level!

But there's no doubt that he is an exciting prospect. He looks like a A-grade athlete and he's obviously very confident. A bit of cockiness doesn't hurt a scrum-half in terms of his performance on the pitch, you've just got to be made aware to keep it for competitive activities.

[mildlyinterested]

He is certainly an exciting prospect hopefully he commits to the sub-academy this season and competes with Murphy for an academy place. With Reilly/Cullen hoping to get a sub-academy place and going from there.

Looking at schools rugby, there are 4 notable scrumhalf prospects going forward:

Conor Duggan(Castleknock) - 6th, irish u18

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Oisin Devitt(Clongowes) - 6th

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Michael Moloney(Blackrock) - 6th, irish u18

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Fintan Gunne(St. Michaels) - 5th

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[Ruckedtobits]

Having watched three weeks of NZ Super Rugby, this really is the one position in which I'd break the bank to get a NIQ like Aaron Smith or TJ Perenara. Smith looks the best in the world at present and TJ plays with the intuition of Messi coupled with the physicality of Murray.

Leinster will eventually find a world class scrum-half but they're the rarest of breeds and Ireland have probably only had I since the professional era started i.e. Murray

[mildlyinterested]

I dunno if Leinster will ever produce a homegrown 9 as good as Smith.. but hopefully

[OTT]

I would hate to sign a NIQ scrumhalf. We have two 9's who imo are in the reckoning for Irish selection and caps in Luke and JGP. They both compliment each other with differing skill sets. They have both been proven good enough to get us to and win a Heineken Cup final. We have won back to back leagues with them. They both still have a higher ceiling they can get to imo. I love having two IQ qualified players fighting for the jersey. I would love if a younger guy was putting some pressure on them for the bigger games over the next 12 months at the minute they are way out on their own.

Obviously this opinion is with the caveat that both Smith and Perenara are both brilliant players.

[mildlyinterested]

I would hate to sign a NIQ scrumhalf. We have two 9's who imo are in the reckoning for Irish selection and caps in Luke and JGP. They both compliment each other with differing skill sets. They have both been proven good enough to get us to and win a Heineken Cup final. We have won back to back leagues with them. They both still have a higher ceiling they can get to imo. I love having two IQ qualified players fighting for the jersey. I would love if a younger guy was putting some pressure on them for the bigger games over the next 12 months at the minute they are way out on their own.

there's no way IRFU would allow a NIQ signing.

Just gotta roll with Luke/JGP and hope we can develop a future homegrown star over the next few seasons.

[Morf]

TJ Perenara kinda shows one example how NZ gave up the no assholes policy too.

If you ever catch him on ref mic he doesn't come across well. Quite a few times I heard him swearing at refs and not being called up on it.

[hugonaut]

TJ Perenara kinda shows one example how NZ gave up the no assholes policy too.

If you ever catch him on ref mic he doesn't come across well. Quite a few times I heard him swearing at refs and not being called up on it.

I've a lot of time for Perenara. I think his heart is in the right place [as per this interview: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... rael-folau ] and while he is occasionally mouthy, that's just a bit of a side order to a very competitive main course.

He is an unbelievable scrum-half. I can't think of another player off the top of my head who I would prefer to bring to the RDS.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

TJ Perenara kinda shows one example how NZ gave up the no assholes policy too.

If you ever catch him on ref mic he doesn't come across well. Quite a few times I heard him swearing at refs and not being called up on it.

I've a lot of time for Perenara. I think his heart is in the right place [as per this interview: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... rael-folau ] and while he is occasionally mouthy, that's just a bit of a side order to a very competitive main course.

He is an unbelievable scrum-half. I can't think of another player off the top of my head who I would prefer to bring to the RDS.

Yeah I think he's brilliant, arguable the best ref in the world

He is mouthy but I would always say he's polite and does it with a smile on his face, plus he's always right. He's corrected refs on a couple of occasions where the ref had actually got a law wrong or forgot that a ball had been taken back into the 22 etc. Loved his reaction to Cane taking him out with a dangerous late hit the other day, just had a laugh about it with Cane when play stopped.

[neiliog93]

Irish rugby has arguably only ever produced one world class scrum-half in its history, namely Murray. We just don't do them that well. Thankfully, a Heineken Cup winning team doesn't need world class or even truly international class players in every single position. In this respect, our scrum-half can represent one of the few positions on the pitch where we don't have a strong international class player, and still be good enough to win the competition.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Irish rugby has arguably only ever produced one world class scrum-half in its history, namely Murray. We just don't do them that well. Thankfully, a Heineken Cup winning team doesn't need world class or even truly international class players in every single position. In this respect, our scrum-half can represent one of the few positions on the pitch where we don't have a strong international class player, and still be good enough to win the competition.

tbh I'm not not 100% sold on Murray being world class, there was a long period in his career when he was absolutely ponderous at the back of a ruck for games on end.

tbf when he was on song he was really good though

[neiliog93]

Irish rugby has arguably only ever produced one world class scrum-half in its history, namely Murray. We just don't do them that well. Thankfully, a Heineken Cup winning team doesn't need world class or even truly international class players in every single position. In this respect, our scrum-half can represent one of the few positions on the pitch where we don't have a strong international class player, and still be good enough to win the competition.

tbh I'm not not 100% sold on Murray being world class, there was a long period in his career when he was absolutely ponderous at the back of a ruck for games on end.

tbf when he was on song he was really good though

Fair. It's arguable then that Ireland has never produced a world class scrum-half.

[leinsterforever]

Don't know how you could say Murray wasn't world class. He was absolutely one of the best in the world between about 2013 and 2018 and arguably *the* best for a time.

[mildlyinterested]

He was never better than Smith.

But he was very good and it'd be great if Leinster produced a homegrown 9 as good as him at his peak.

[The Doc]

Fair. It's arguable then that Ireland has never produced a world class scrum-half.

John Robbie?